And That's How I Got to This Point
by whatamess
Summary: Lorraine Mancini is entering into her seventh year alongside the Marauders and she's in for the year of her life. She's sarcastic, clumsy, and has a heart of gold. So how does she end up standing beside the Shrieking Shack at midnight? SBxOC
1. Prologue: And Here I Was

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that pertains to Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**A/N: ****This story will be slightly AU. This is my first fanfic so any criticism or compliments are welcome! **

**Thanks,  
Whatamess**

**And That's How I Got to This Point**

_I'm a million contradictions__  
__Sometimes I make no sense__  
__Sometimes I'm perfect__  
__Sometimes I'm a mess__  
__Sometimes I'm not sure who I am_

_Hilary Duff – I Am_

**Prologue: And Here I Was**

**March 12****th ****1978; Sunday**

Here I was, standing, like a bloody idiot I might add, in the torrential down-pour that was flooding northern Scotland. My black turtle-neck clung to me like a second skin. The weight of the rain was pulling it down, stretching it, and my dark blue jeans felt as if they were made of lead due to their water logged state.

The black rain clouds were dumping buckets of water on my head as I stood only metres from the eerily creepy and haunted Shrieking Shack which sat on the edge between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. It was the middle of the night and I was risking getting in serious trouble for just being out past hours but I wanted to be here. I shook my head. No, I _needed_ to be here. For the sake of my heart at least.

"Where is he…", I mumbled to myself while trying to pull the sleeves of my soaked shirt down over my hands that were quickly turning blue from the cold.

It was freezing, Merlin! I didn't even know how much longer I could last out here without coming down with some horrendous cold the next day.

_Or wait, was it already the next day? I had been waiting for a while now and it had already been dark when I had gotten here. How much longer would it be until he showed? Would he even show? Did he even know I was here?_ All these thoughts rushed through my head as I paced back and forth on the edge of the grass. I was trying to keep my body moving. Maybe it would stop me from freezing. _Fat chance of that._

I felt like a fool. I looked like a cat that had been picked up by the scruff and dunked into a tub of water. I would probably be laughed at if someone saw me right now. I knew my hair was hanging like a limp mess around my face and some of it was even plastered to the sides of my face. My make-up had probably started to run and I knew I most likely had black smudges under my eyes. _Why didn't I invest in water-proof mascara?_ I thought bitterly.

But that wasn't the point. I just needed him to get here so I could explain everything. To tell him how _very _sorry I was. To let him know it wasn't his fault. And maybe, just maybe, he would start talking to me again.

But wait, I'm sorry. You have no idea what's going on, now do you? I guess I should start from the beginning, huh? Well, here it goes…

* * *

The name's Lorraine Marie Mancini, the only child of Aquila Mancini, formerly Aquila Burke, and Cristiano Mancini.

My parents had meet at Hogwarts almost twenty years ago. My mum was a sixth year prefect in Ravenclaw and my dad was one year above her in Gryffindor. They met purely by chance in the library. My father was making a loud ruckus and she went quickly to shush him. According my mum it was love at first sight but if you ask my dad he'd say it just happened. About two years later they got married and I was on my way. They've been great parents, I can't complain. Well, my mum is a great parent but my dad is just kind of there to discipline me when I misbehave.

I think that's why my mum happens to be my role model; she was one of those women who were just _meant_ to be parents. You know the type; calm, understanding, bubbly, loved kids? Yeah, that was her.

Ever since I was little she supported me through my many ups and downs. Whether it be from wanting to join choir only to find out that I sang as wonderfully as an unearthed Mandrake (which I'm not ashamed to admit was the reason I quit), to the time I joined the local muggle football team where I spent my whole time picking at grass and watching the faster girls kick the ball back and forth (which is when I realized I was _not _cut out for football), to the time I tried to learn how to ride a broom only to fall over and smack my head on the ground the second I got on (See a pattern here? I am NOT athletic or graceful in any sense of the words...).

My mum, bless her heart, let me humiliate myself multiple times as I attempted to find something I was good at, whether it be muggle or magical, but she was always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on when my latest attempt turned to failure. Which, unfortunately, happened often.

It was then her, who, after all my mishaps with sports, encouraged me to focus on my academics. She was the one who taught me to thrive for knowledge, which is probably the reason I value intelligence so much today.

My dad, on the other hand, wanted me to be good at something instead of being smart. He believed in tough love and wanted a son so badly that he could sometimes be a little bitter toward me. Now, don't me wrong, I knew deep down that he loved me (way deep down…) but he just didn't think that I should get away with everything just because I was a girl. I learned at an early age to be afraid of the sharp, smacking sound that a belt makes when your angry father is snapping it and yelling your complete name because you had decided it would be funny to rescue an injured toad and leave it in the tub. And just so you know, under the bed is _not _a good hiding spot when your father is a wizard. But that is a completely different story.

How my parents manage to stay together I will always wonder. My father hates any animals. Except his dumb owl who he named Beast. But he especially hates all the ones my mum tries to bring home who smell distinctly like the rubbish they had been digging through. She loves reading and quiet nights sipping tea while wrapped in a blanket. He likes shooting off guns, hates reading, and wouldn't be caught drinking tea if his life depended on it. I doubt my father even knows that some books don't have pictures.

My mum is also in love with the idea of "romance". She gets all sappy and wants nothing more than for me to find my "true love" and live happily ever after. My dad, however, thinks romance is for the sodding actors in the moving pictures and wants me to marry for practicality. I happen to agree more with my father, I mean look at all the divorce there is nowadays and my parents _do _fight all the time which usually ends in my mum crying and my father saying that she needs to be less emotional.

So I guess that's where I got my contradicting personality. I was honestly a nightmare to figure out. My personality went from one extreme to the next and didn't pause in between. But that's how I got myself into this mess in the first place.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, there is the first chapter in my first ever fanfiction. I'm nervous. ****I hope you enjoyed this although I think it was a little boring, but it will get better. Tell me if you liked it or not. **

**-Whatamess**


	2. Chapter 2: And I'm a Klutz

**Disclaimer: Well, as you know, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**And That's How I Got to This Point**

_Train wreck that I am  
And I am what I am what I am  
A train wreck, that I am  
And I am what I am what I am  
A train wreck_

_3Oh!3 – Colorado Sunrise_

**And I'm a Klutz**

**September 1st 1977; Thursday**

"Lo! Blimey! Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes to see the face of my best mate (practically twin), Hailey, looking at me with concerned eyes. She was tiny, like me, and we were often mistaken for twins. We both had wavy, dark brown hair that hung down past our shoulders and we both wore the same size clothes and shoes. The only difference was that she had pretty hazel eyes while mine were a shade of dark brown that was in no way pretty. Oh, and she was paler than me. We were known around Hogwarts as being the shortest girls in our year for we were only 1.55 metres and trust me, we got hell for it. I don't think a day passed by without someone making a joke about our heights. And if we weren't getting crap from being so short we got crap from having such bad luck and being so clumsy. Which is how I ended up on the floor outside our compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

I groaned and then busted out laughing. This _would_ happen to me.

I had been innocently walking to Compartment D where Hailey and I always sat. It hadn't even been ten minutes since I stepped foot on the train when it lurched to a start. I slipped from the suddenness of the movement and tried to catch my balance but there was nothing there to stop me from falling and to the floor I went. It's ok though, the floor and I were well acquainted buddies.

"Of course I'm okay", I said through my laughter, "It's not like I haven't lost my balance and fallen before. I should just consider living down here."

She shook her head but started laughing as well and reached out a tiny hand to help me up. Once I was back on my feet I started brushing the dirt off my clothes and fixing my hair.

That's when I heard it. Someone was clapping. _Balls. _Someone besides Hailey _had _seen me fall. Just my luck. A red hot blush raced up my neck as I slowly turned my head to see who was clapping. And there stood James Potter and Sirius Black.

_Ugh, why me?_

Black stopped clapping and instead opted for smirking, "Mancini, I know you're short but really, is it necessary to get even closer to the ground?"

_See_ _what I mean about the short jokes?_

I rolled my eyes. Black and I were – how do I put this- acquaintances? Maybe. We were civil but barely so, I thought he was too cocky for his own good and he thought it was the funniest thing in the world to use me as the butt of his jokes. I never understood why he always picked on me and not any of my other friends. He claimed it was because I took his jokes seriously and that I was fun to rile up but I'm pretty sure that was a load of bull. I think he just secretly hated me.

I grabbed the handle of my trunk and pulled it upright again .Then I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Hardy har har Black. It just so happens that I thought the floor was lonely." Oh wow. That was your comeback? Ugh. I guess I hit my head harder than I thought. Alright, time to fix this.

"So Potter, how was your summer?" I turned and smiled to the black haired guy standing next to Sirius Black. Yeah, that was good. A nice change of the subject should do the trick. I then devoted my attention to Potter to ignore the chuckling of Black.

I have to admit, James Potter is a pretty decent looking guy. And I couldn't help but get a little self-conscious when I talked to him. He was tall, well-built, smart, funny, and had my favourite characteristic: dark hair. And before you say, 'Oh, well doesn't Sirius Black have dark hair?', the answer is yes, yes he does. But I refuse to think of Black as attractive. I am not and will not be part of that group. He's too much of a prat and needs someone to put him in his place.

"It was great! Sirius and I got to spend the whole summer travelling with my parents. We were able to prank people across three different countries." Potter gave me a mischievous smile before turning to Black with a sly look that seemed to say 'remember that?'. They both dissolved into a fit of laughter. Potter doubled over holding his stomach while Black placed his hand against the compartment wall to support his laughing body.

I saw Hailey smiling out the corner of my eye and I couldn't stop the upturning of the corners of my mouth. Ok, so they could be funny. At least when their humor was turned on someone other than me.

"Well, it was nice seeing you guys. Don't get in too much trouble", I called over my shoulder as I turned away from the laughing boys and started to walk back to my previous destination: Compartment D.

* * *

"I can't believe I fell in front of them!" I sighed in frustration as I flopped onto the bench in the compartment. _How embarrassing._

"Lo, I hate to break it to you but it's nothing new", Hailey smirked at me and then returned to the book that was sitting on her lap.

Well, trust it to Hailey to put it so bluntly. That was something I loved about her. She knew how to deal with me.

"Ugh, you're right. It would be weird for me to not fall. I should be renamed Klutz-A-Lot, it'd be more appropriate." A laugh escaped my lips as I leaned over and picked up my own book. I opened it to the bookmarked page. Then I realized I hadn't asked her about the rest of her summer. I looked back up at her and tucked some hair that was falling in my face behind my ear. It was getting way too long.

"So, how was your last week of summer Hail?" I asked with a cheeky grin. She had met a muggle boy during the last few weeks of summer and she was completely smitten with him.

She glared at me and I was rewarded with a quill thrown at my face. It missed and dully hit me on my arm. I laughed.

"So…" I prompted her again. I wanted some answers. I hadn't gotten any girl time with her in a whole week. Which for our friendship was actually quite miraculous. Ever since we met in first year we had been inseparable; where one went the other was sure to be around too. In fact, I'm pretty sure my mum had unofficially adopted her into the Mancini family.

"It was great. I got to meet his mum just Tuesday. She is really nice Lo, you would like her." I could see her eyes take on a faraway look. Man, she really _was_ gone. She had fallen for the guy. At least he was cute. But he had no idea about her being a witch. Was it practical to be with such a guy?

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want my twin getting hurt", I said with a sigh. I was happy for her, really. I was just not a romantic person. At all.

"I _am _careful. And hush, Miss-I-Don't-Believe-In-Love. You're just jealous. He even showed up at my door with roses!" She stuck her tongue out at me.

I pretended to puke.

"I believe in love!" Kind of.

She gave me a disbelieving look. _Uh oh_. Curse her for knowing me so well.

"Don't look at me like that! I really do. I just don't think anyone can fall seriously in love this young. It's just not reasonable." That was my logical, intelligent side speaking up. It's not my fault that I wasn't a romantic. I was taught to be practical and focus on education.

"Lo, you've dated like three guys. Total! And you break up with them the second they start to get serious", She was giving me a pointed look.

Ok, she kind of had a point. Kind of. But she's making me out to be some cold-hearted, commitment phobic person. Which is not true. I just didn't see any future with those guys so it was pointless to stay with them. As for dating such few guys, well, I didn't like just dating any guy. I had to really like them before I went out with them.

"I'm just fine with my current love life, _mum. _I'm focusing on school right now anyway. I don't need some guy always hanging around me when I have N.E.W.T's just around the corner." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. Gotta love her though, right?

Just then the compartment door slide open and Remus Lupin's smiling face popped in. His shaggy, caramel brown hair was falling into his face and partially covering his light brown eyes.

"Hiya girls. How were your summers?" He walked in and sat down next to Hailey and across from me.

Remus was sweet and _smart_. Merlin was he smart. He even gave me a run for my money on several occasions and I was number one in my class. I actually liked him. Despite him being a Marauder and such good friends with Black. Plus, he was kind of dashing. In a quiet, humble way.

"Great" Hailey and I replied at the same time. We really were too alike sometimes.

Remus's smile grew and he looked amused.

"Mine was go-"but he never got to finish his sentence because at that moment the compartment door was slammed open with a loud bang.

I screamed. Loud. And my hand flew up to my heart.

Hey, it's not unreasonable. It was scary.

Sirius and James ran inside a second later laughing so hard they could barely breathe. They slammed the door shut behind them and pulled the curtain down over the window.

"Black! Potter! Bloody hell, you scared us." I yelled at them as my hands closed into fists. I wanted to stand up and hit them both. Ugh, the nerve of them running in here like that.

They just stood in the middle of the compartment panting and bent over with their hands on their knees. They looked quite the sight. Their faces were red from exertion and they were breathing heavily while still laughing every now and then.

Finally, James took a seat next to Remus and sighed as he relaxed into the cushioned seat.

"Calm down, Mancini", Black panted, still in the middle of the compartment, "Don't get your knickers in a bunch." He walked over to my side of the compartment and flopped down next to me. His arms fell limp at his sides and his right arm brushed against mine. A warmth radiated from the spot where it had touched me and I felt a blush coming on again. I am_ so_ not used to being around guys. I was way too shy for this.

I silently cursed myself for blushing so easily. Great. Now he's gonna think I like him. That would be bad. It would just add to his dumb ego.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I realized my arm had gotten wet. Ew. He was sweaty._ Gross_.

"Black, get your sweaty arse away from me", I snapped while wiping my arm on my robes. _Ugh. _I can't believe he had to sit this close to me. There was a whole cushion to sit on. But I knew he had done it on purpose just to piss me off.

I totally take back what I said about him being funny sometimes. I was wrong.

"Why are you always in a bad mood Mancini?" He looked at me with his light gray eyes as he leaned against the back of the seat and stretched his legs out.

Yep, I was definitely wrong about him being funny. What nerve! I am not always in a bad mood. I'm actually funny and carefree. He just so happened to put me in bad moods.

He snapped his fingers in front of my face and laughed as I jumped a little.

"See, you're way too uptight." He pulled his lips into a smirk as he looked at me.

I hated that smirk. Every time he gave me one I just wanted to punch it off his face. But I never would. I couldn't imagine seriously hurting someone. Even if that someone was the arrogant, Sirius Black. But his smirks did have one benefit: It reminded me why I could never find him attractive. He was way too conceded.

"I am not. I just don't like getting scared or being picked on! Which is all you seem to do." I glared at him. He is so not funny.

He turned to face me and leaned forward, his ear length black hair falling around his tan face. And his pink lips grew into a bigger smirk while his gray eyes filled with amusement.

"I'll tell you what your problem is Mancini, you need to get laid." Then he leaned back into the seat with a satisfied grin on his face.

_Holy bleeding Merlin's balls._

My mouth dropped open. He did NOT just say that to me. Oh my. My face felt as if I had put it into an oven I was blushing so hard. No one has ever, ever said that to me. Why…the…the…nerve! I glared at him.

"That doesn't even deserve a comment!" I huffed, crossing my arms tightly across my chest and scooting as far away from his as I possibly could.

I could hear Hailey, James, and Remus trying to stifle their laughter. I shot them a quick glare and then rested my head against the compartment wall.

I didn't know what to say. I knew everyone thought I was a prude but did I really deserve that comment? I was just fine without sex, thank you very much. But oh gosh, I was so embarrassed.

So I did the only thing I could think of to help my embarrassment and anger; I ignored them. The whole way to Hogwarts. Ha, that'll show you Black. You won't get a rise out of me. Nope. Not today.

* * *

**Authors note:**

**Well, there is chapter two. Whoo. I'm excited. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. What you think about Lorraine's character? Is she too cynical? Thanks to all my readers. It made my day. And a special thanks to FastTyper for the review. It was greatly appreciated.**

**-Whatamess**

**P.S: 1.55 metres is about 5'1"**


	3. Chapter 3: And What Did I Do?

**Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish these characters were mine. And real. But alas, I can't always get what I want. **

**And That's How I Got to this Point  
**_  
So lay down, the threat is real,  
When his sight goes red again.  
Seeing red again,  
Seeing red again._

_Chevelle – The Red_

**And What did I Do?**

**September 4****th****, 1977 Sunday**

"Oh, piss off Black! You drive me insane! You've made my previous 6 years at Hogwarts a living nightmare. I can't catch a break with you, so you know what? GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

I was beyond pissed. How dare he treat me like this, after all these years you would think he would have gotten tired of picking on me but nope, it was apparently still amusing to him. If only he knew that he words still inflicted me with pain. That many-a-nights I laid in my bed, with the red and gold curtains pulled shut, crying into my pillow. But I have news for you Black! I'm tired of it.

He looked visibly taken back by my verbal attack, his steel grays widening with shock but his surprise didn't last long for his eyes seemed to quickly turn charcoal gray with anger.

_Great, my personality just had to pick _this _particular moment to change from meek and timid to a spitball of fire and now I had just pissed off the one guy that had been making my life a misery without being provoked. What was he going to tell me now that I had provoked him? That I was an uptight brat? Ha, he'd already told me that one._

He sneered at me with his hardened charcoal gray eyes,"Oh, that's real rich, Mancini. You think you can stand up to me? Please. You're nothing but a frigid bitch."

He took a step closer to me and laughed humorously, a scary sound for sure and I became aware that if he came any closer I would be backed up against the library's bookshelf and that his body would be pinning me to it. Everyone who had been anywhere near us in the library went completely still and quiet; transfixed on the scene in front of them. They had never seen us fight like this before, and we have been around the block or two when it came to fights. But we had never resorted to cussing each other out. Until now.

Clenching my teeth I managed to grounded out, "As it so happens, yes, I am sticking up for myself. Finally. Like I said, I've had enough of you and your huge ego. You may have every other girl in this school fooled, thinking that you're God's gift to women but not me," I had taken a step closer to him, glaring up at his 1.84 metre frame towering above me and poked him in the chest with my finger to emphasis my point.

"I know you for who you really are." _Poke._

"You saunter around this school like you're Merlin himself! That we should all bow down at your feet and climb into your bed!" _Poke_.

"You may say you're better than your pureblood-is-the-only–way family, but you treat others just like they do, with NO respect!" _Poke_.

"Do you even have feelings? Huh? Or did your family teach you not to have those either?" _Poke._

If I thought I had pissed him off before, it was nothing compared to the way he looked now. If there was an anger scale that went from annoyed to murderous, he would be at serial killer. There was pure fury written across his tan face and there was even a vein popping out of his forehead, threatening to burst if he got any more peeved.

_Actually, no. Peeved came nowhere close to describing the way he looked right now. Pure explosive was more like it. Bloody hell….what did I just do?_

When my brain finally got done playing catch-up and realized the seriousness of the situation I felt my face pale and I attempted to take a cautious step backwards, but his hand whipped out and caught my wrist in a vice-like grip.

_Ow. _

"You think you can just insult me and get away with it? You know NOTHING about my family! Nothing! So keep your damn prude mouth shut and stick to things you _actually_ know about. Like books or being a snob", his voice was dripping with venom and the grip around my wrist tightened to a brutal hold.

I was scared, to be quite honest, I had never seen this side of Black before. Sure, I had seen him play some mean pranks on unsuspecting students that had ended badly, I had seen him play some rather cruel ones on Snape in particular and he had been teasing and torturing me for years but it had never gotten to this point; the point where he was actually threatening my wellbeing.

I took a shaky breath.

_Don't cry, Lorraine. Whatever you do, don't cry. He doesn't deserve to see you cry. He shouldn't be this scary! You didn't mean what you said to him. _

Or…did I? I didn't mean to hit a nerve like that…. but-but I was so tired of the bullying. He really treated others like he had no emotions or at least to anyone outside his little _group_.

"Let go", I whispered, trying to pull my wrist out of his grasp. It was really starting to hurt.

At that point I guess everyone saw how far things had gotten because the next thing I knew, Potter was stepping in between us, putting his hands on Black's chest and pushing him back away from me and I felt my wrist being released. His gray eyes found mine and he no longer looked furious, he looked…almost scared. I quickly dropped my gaze from his; I didn't necessarily want to look at him right now. I was on the verge of tears.

_Why would _he _look scared? He wasn't the one that was pushed up against bookshelf by an angry bloke twice his height and weight._

Potter was muttering quiets words to him, I'm assuming to calm him down but I wasn't paying attention any more. My head was reeling. That was most scared I had ever been. No one had ever touched me like that, had ever _looked _at me like that.

_But what was with the scared look that came over his stormy eyes? Had I made that up? I must have, why in Merlin's fat hat would Black_ _ever have a reason to be scared. Especially of me?_

I finally looked up in time to catch the look Potter sent in my direction. Disappointment. Great. So, this whole thing was my fault? Had they not seen Black tormenting me before I went off? I knew I shouldn't have said those things about his family but…

_Ugh. He deserved it, that prick. He thinks he's this awesome person and that nothing he does has repercussions or consequences. Well, bad news Black, it does. I just hope he wouldn't get back at me for pointing that out to him. He was clearly a big guy who had some anger issues. _

Hailey's voice broke through my thoughts and I turned my head to look at her. Her small, cold hand reached out and rested on my forearm.

"Lo, dear, are you ok?"

"Yeah", I mumbled and then I turned to face her, letting the tears I had been holding back slip from my eyes, reality of what just happened hitting me full force now.

_Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuuuccckk. I had just signed my death warrant._

* * *

**Hey everyone, I'm back to write some more. It took me forever to find the inspiration to continue this story and I hope I did a good job. As always, review! Tell me what you liked, didn't like, or what I can do to improve the story. **

**Yours, **

**Whatamess**


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